In the life of being autistic like myself, I experience co-occurring anxiety. Over half of the autistic adult population deals with this too. Other families and individuals often state it is the most-disliked thing they find about themselves. I too don’t like it at all. Before really taking a deeper dive over the past year, I let it often rule my life. It has been what has kept me from being my best self over several times. I am slowly learning to be more comfortable with my anxiety. I work at combating it as it gets tense within my body. I find ways to release the tension that I am experiencing at the given moment.

Anxiety is one of the first things I learned about. It happens when the body develops a buildup of adrenaline and cortisol. After such, the body needs to remove what has accumulated. It is dysregulating itself from what oneself should be feeling. For the longest time I do not do this without the guidance of others. But, in the past year, I have had to develop the necessary skills. These skills help me get rid of the energy I was experiencing.

I had always felt a great sense of shame. I needed to do something that seemed out of my control. It was unusual to others. But in all honesty, I now see that there are many people who experience anxiety in many forms. They are not just neurodivergent, but neurotypical too. Knowing this, I have become more accepting. I understand how people have to process their anxiety to cope with life’s challenges. There is no shame in doing so. it is how the manage things that are challenging for them in their own way. It is not for anyone to judge or call out to attention. It is how they can live in this world.

For so long, anxiety has been a huge barrier in me moving ahead with things in life. Sometimes, I counteract it because I do not feel that I have control over a situation. I fear the worst in such situations. I know that those who support me often understand what can trigger my anxiety. They try their best to help in any way. I just had to start to see that they were there to support me. They were not there to help me get through what they know are challenging situations for someone like me.

I am hopeful that going ahead, I can find more opportunities for coping skills. These skills should be helpful and put my anxiety more at ease. I also know there is often no judgment in doing what I need to do. I take care of myself when I need to because I am often around others who understand. They know that things can be challenging, and often it is the anxiety talking before any other emotion is involved. The key is addressing issues early. I do this by not letting my anxiety take control.